1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric double layer capacitor, and more particularly to an electric double layer capacitor having excellent high temperature load characteristics and low temperature characteristics.
2. Discussion of Background
As an electrolyte solution to be used for such an electric double layer capacitor, there have been proposed electrolyte solutions obtained by dissolving an electrolyte such as a tetraalkylammonium salt, ammonium salt or alkali metal salt of perchloric acid, hexafluorophosphoric acid, tetrafluoroboric acid or trifluoromethane sulfonic acid, in an organic solvent such as propylene carbonate, .gamma.-butyrolactone, acetonitlile or dimethylformamide (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 50255/1973, 68254/1974 and 232409/1984).
However, with such conventional electric double layer capacitors, the working voltage per unit cell was about 1.8 V. A working voltage at a level of 5.5 V is required for their main use as a memory back-up electric power source. Therefore, it has been common to laminate three cells in series to obtain a commercial product. If the working voltage per unit cell can be improved to a level of 2.75 V or higher, the desired level of working voltage can be obtained by laminating only two cells, whereby the costs can be reduced. On the other hand, with conventional electric double layer capacitors, if a working voltage of 2.75 or higher is applied, decomposition of the solvent of the electrolyte solution occurs, thus leading to problems such that the capacity decreases, the internal resistance increases since the outer casing expands due to the generation of gas, and further the electrolyte solution is likely to leak from the cells. Such phenomena for degradation are remarkable particularly when the capacitors are used at high temperatures.